In Denmark, Adventist church planters Rob and Bethany draw from lessons learned in Squamish, British Columbia, where relational ministry helped a skeptical former Adventist rediscover Jesus through friendship, listening, and shared life. Now in Copenhagen, they continue using the BLESS model—prayer, listening, eating together, serving, and sharing—to build authentic community and introduce neighbors to Christ in one of Europe’s most secular cities.
Rob and Bethany are church planters in Copenhagen, Denmark. But before this, they learned principles of relationship-based ministry while they started a church in Squamish, British Columbia.
There, they made a friend who had grown up in an Adventist home but whose experiences had left him skeptical and jaded. The Christian path he had been shown was unbalanced, with prophecy studies intermingled with conspiracy theories and anxiety replacing the peace of salvation. As an adult, he distanced himself entirely.
But over time, something about Rob and Bethany’s way of living began to break down his defenses. They invited him into their lives—meals, conversations, shared routines.
He watched them. He listened. “He could sense that what we were doing was real,” Rob said. “We weren’t just going through motions. We were trying to live like Jesus. We really cared about him and wanted to be his friend.”
When a personal crisis hit, the man reached out—not to a church, but to the family he’d grown to trust. He began to ask questions. And eventually, he chose to believe again—but this time, in a Jesus he’d never known before.
Now he’s a passionate Christian, committed and transformed.
And it started with simple things: listening, serving, and living the gospel through daily life.
“There’s nothing more exciting than being part of someone’s spiritual journey,” Rob reflected. “Start with the basics—begin with prayer, listen, eat, serve, and when the time comes, share. That’s how Jesus did it. And that’s how hearts are still changed today.”
Now in Copenhagen, Rob and Bethany meet new friends in their neighborhood and through local events. Their home is open for fellowship and shared meals on a regular basis. They are always on the lookout for who they can invest in – listening, serving, supporting, sharing. From their past experience, they know that this is the most effective way to love people today. And they pray daily that God will bless them with real friendships along this church planting journey.
Please pray for our missionaries who serve in the Post-Christian Window, one of the greatest mission challenges our church faces today. To learn more, visit GMsda.org/refocus.
